If you’re not raring to be traumatized by a clown-monster in It: Chapter Two, feel moved to your core by the devastating horror-drama Tigers Are Not Afraid. Want something more upbeat, but still plenty weird? Satoshi Kon’s gorgeously psychedelic Paprika will make your brain do somersaults, plus a run of The Land Before Time will make you cry baby dinosaur tears. See all of our film critics’ picks for this weekend below, and, if you’re looking for even more options, check out our film events calendar and complete movie times listings (which are now location-aware!).
Note: Movies play Thursday–Sunday unless otherwise noted
Angel Has Fallen
Angel Has Fallen, the third movie in the inelegantly named ______ Has Fallen series, pulls off an unexpected trick: It’s actually pretty good! Star and coproducer Gerard Butler reportedly wanted to sunset the franchise in the spirit of 2017’s masterful Logan, and damn if he didn’t get pretty close. Here, secret service super-agent Mike Banning (Butler) is beginning to feel the effects of his previous escapades: He’s got a compressed spine, some sort of chronic post-concussion syndrome, and a low-key opioid habit that he hasn’t told his wife about. And while he’s still fully capable of taking down a dozen elite commandos at a time, these cracks in his action-hero armor contribute to a genuine sense of tension in the film’s claustrophobic, deftly choreographed combat. Gone are the previous entries’ generic, nonwhite terrorist villains, replaced with aggrieved middle-class military contractors brandishing tactical gear and tricked-out automatic rifles. For a franchise that’s always felt at least a decade removed from relevance, Angel Has Fallen ends up being an intense, surprisingly of-the-moment action thriller. BEN COLEMAN
Meridian 16
